Warpath
by wistfulwavess
Summary: Survivor's guilt is a bitch. SakuraxSasuke SakuraxItachi (Slow burn)
1. Chapter 1

"Ino, I _really _don't have time for this."

"What _do _you have time for anymore, Sakura?!" Ino shrieked.

Good point.

"Any time I do see you, you barely even say anything or you're rushing to leave! And if I do happen to talk to you, you act like a bitch!"

I flinched. It sucked to hear that but didn't make Ino's statement any less true

If she only knew.

I sighed, "Listen, I really am sorry. I really do have to go."

I could see the hurt flash on my best friend's face and it hurt me.

If she only knew.

Xxx

"Did you see her today?"

"Yeah, not for long."

"How was she?"

"No change."

Tsunade shook her head at the news. She knew what was wrong with her student, but Sakura shut herself off from everyone, refusing help.

Medical ninja that survive through wars or just battles in general tend to have what is called survivor's guilt. It can happen to any shinobi, but medical nin tend to feel it more because they are the last resort between life and death. If they fail, it's their fault. That's what goes on in their heads anyway. Honestly, Tsunade was surprised Sakura was just now experiencing it.

The older woman looked across the table at Ino. She was mindlessly stirring her tea, sadness blanketing her features.

"She'll make it through, you know," Tsunade said gently.

Ino simply shook her head, shifting her gaze out the window at the grey, winter sky.

"I don't know. I feel like there is something else there. Something that she isn't telling us."

Xxx

I was keeping a secret. A secret that I couldn't tell anyone.

The grey sky above me threatened to pour rain any minute as I rushed to my apartment. I should have grabbed a jacket, I thought to myself grimly. I hate the rain and I hate the cold.

I really hate the cold.

Raindrops started to make dark splatters in the dust of the road just as I reached my doorstep. I rummaged in my pocket, fishing around for my key when I heard a door creak open.

"Sakura-sama?"

I looked down the wall to my neighbor's door, finally curling my fingers around the coldness of my key.

"Hello, Miss Hazuki," I said pleasantly enough.

I knew Tsunade paid this lady to keep tabs on me. She was nice enough that I wasn't rude to her, though. Miss Hazuki had just lost her husband so needless to say I harbored sympathy for the woman.

"Doing alright, dear?" she asked as her eyes scanned my appearance from head to toe.

She was probably taking in my long, unbrushed hair. I hadn't been keeping my hair short like I usually did because I was so busy. Well, and when your best friend is your hairdresser and she's mad at you, the last thing you want is scissors near your head. My malnourished appearance I'm sure also held her gaze. The dark circles were a bonus.

"I'm meal prepping for the week. I'll leave you some on your step."

She knew better than to knock at this point in our observational relationship.

"Thank you, Miss Hazuki. I really do appreciate it."

She smiled meekly before casting one last glance at me and murmuring under her breath.

Civilians forget that shinobi's have excellent hearing.

"I _have _to call Tsunade. Things are getting worse."

Miss Hazuki closed the door, thinking I hadn't heard.

I chuckled to myself as I unlocked my door.

Xxx

Things started after the war. The second I walked back into the village, I saw the aftermath of war. Sure, we're told stories of what previous wars were like: the dead bodies, the destroyed homes, the destruction.

That was putting things mildly.

I saw my home that I had loved since my birth burned to the ground. I saw children that I gave candy to after braving flu shots dead on the ground, mouths agape, eyes smoky. I saw mothers holding babies, attempting to shield them from the evil that they had somehow survived.

I threw up as soon as I got back to the medical tent.

Xxx

Why had I survived? Why didn't my family perish like Naruto's, Sasuke's? Like Ino and Shikamaru's dad?

Why was I still here?

Team 7 was reunited, Sasuke was home. I should have been elated. Instead, I felt dead. I wished I was dead. After seeing the death of innocence, how could I ever be whole again?

I withdrew from everything. And maybe that was putting it lightly.

The first two months I locked my door and didn't let anyone in. Naruto broke the door down once and he lived to regret it.

No one bothered me again. Except Ino.

"Tsunade told Naruto to give you space and for some reason he actually _listened. _Sorry, I'm here and there's nothing you can do about it!" Ino shouted at my door, fist banging against my front door.  
She yelled and knocked for _three hours. _

I answered the door if only to save myself from a perpetual migraine.

And that's where my participation ended. If I answered the door that day (some days I would sit in the shower all day to drown out the knocking), I would be stoic or in Ino's words, be a "bitch" although that was my furthest intention. I never wanted to hurt my best friend.

I just needed time.

After about six months, I got a sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm.

What if I could do something that would make _slight _amends, (I would never gain forgiveness, no, never forgiveness) for surviving when others more deserving didn't?

My mind wandered to a forbidden place, but it wandered, nonetheless.

Xxx

**AN: Hey guys! So, if you're a reader of mine, I want to apologize for the MIA of **_**Can I Be Him? **_**I got to the end of the story and felt as if the ending was terrible. And in the true fashion of a perfectionist, I deleted it all. I am so very sorry and that will never happen again. Just know, this is a bit of a darker fic. But I still love the idea. See you all soon and drop me a line in the reviews **

**Xoxo, **

**wistfulwavess**


	2. Chapter 2

**Trigger warning: mention of suicide. **

I blew the steam off the bowl of miso soup from Miss Hazuki's meal prep. The oil in the soup swirled, making intricate patterns on the surface of the soup before stilling, projecting my reflection back to me.

I winced. Even in the murky reflection of the soup, I looked haggard.

I shrugged and began sipping my soup. Looks never got me anywhere, anyway.

I rinsed my bowl before hand drying it, placing it on the bench outside my front door- the way I always did. Old Sakura would knock on Miss Hazuki's door and over zealously thank the older woman for the food with promises of baking her something in return.

I hadn't baked in years.

I donned my jacket this time, zipping it up tight to my throat to keep out the cold as I pushed my feet into my only pair of boots and headed out the door. I walked past the bowl on my outside bench and had the thought to turn it upside down so it wouldn't fill with water from the rain so that Miss Hazuki wouldn't have to pour it out.

It was the most thoughtful thing I had done in months for the woman.

If I survive this, I thought to myself, I'll be sure to return the favor of cooking for her.

Xxx

I bought the warehouse about eight months after the war. It wasn't a very big warehouse; it was probably a former office space with a small warehouse area in the back. Being the best doctor in the Fire Nation paid very generously, but I was seeking discreetness rather than lavishness.

No one knows about the warehouse.

I look over my shoulder, careful to keep my chakra masked as I reach into my pocket for the key. Feeling satisfied that I hadn't been followed, I unlock the door.

The door creaked with age, echoing in the old metal building. I shivered with anticipation rather than from the cold. Central heat and air had burnt out years ago from what I'd gathered. I threw my hood over my head and laid my hands flat under my arms for warmth.

Scrolls littered the floor with red and black ink. The scrolls with red ink weren't my proudest moment, but I was past that. The red ink indicated the scrolls were forbidden and after reading them, I knew why.

My gaze drifted towards a rusted door that lead the small warehouse area that was adjacent to the office area. There were several deadbolts along with a chakra seal on the door. It looked evil to anyone who didn't know what was behind it.

I smiled in anticipation as I released the seal.

Xxx

I was desperate for some way to alleviate the immense guilt that I felt after the war. Everyone had lost someone. What had I lost? I had both of my senseis still with me and all my friends. Sure, losing Neji was devasting because he had so much life to live, but it didn't break me. Why him, though and not me? He had so much to prove to his clan. He was the Hyuga genius- so much potential lost.

The chips had to fall somewhere, yet somehow, they laid all around me like I had an imaginary forcefield over my head. It wasn't right. My lucky streak was unfair and I was sure everyone resented me for it.

I couldn't look at anyone. They were talking about me behind my back, I was sure.

"Oh, look! There she is. She's never experienced loss, gets paid close to a million dollars a year, _and_ got her precious Sasuke back!"

So, I did what I had to do and that's my reasoning. No, it wasn't because I thought they were talking about me behind my back. I was used to that. It was because of my personal guilt.

It would gnaw on me late at night as I lay awake in bed.

What if climbed to the rooftop and jumped?

What if I took a handful of sleeping pills?

No.

All very appealing options, but I had to do something to try to rectify what was wronged. The innocent lives lost, the children killed, the families forever changed.

And that's why I did what I did.

Xxx

My fascination with resurrection began one night after a rather intense nightmare.

In my dream there were three caskets standing straight up, three in a row. I felt the cold sweat drip down my back. I approached the caskets against better judgement because nightmares don't give you much choice. Even though my head kept screaming against it, my feet led me mere feet in front of the caskets.

To my horror, the caskets slowly creaked open. My eyes were fixed at the foot of the caskets as I told myself to not dare to look up.

The nightmare realm forced my eyes up.

Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and Sasuke wore black cloaks down to their feet that billowed as a light breeze blew. Somehow, I knew it was them without looking at their faces. Call it a woman's intuition about her boys. I wouldn't look at their faces. I wasn't sure what I would find, but I could sense evil.

My eyes began to travel up their forms against my will.

Their eyes were dark with slightly lighter irises, wide with confusion.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto murmured in disbelief.

My cheeks were wet as I realized tears were streaming down my face.

Reanimation jutsu. That means that they're dead.

Horror spread through my veins like ice, paralyzing my limbs. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, flooding my senses.

Well, that's what I should have felt.

Instead, I felt euphoria. My boys were dead. This was undeniable.

Yet, here they were. Right in front of me, reanimated with the same spirits that I loved so much.

My heart stopped as I reached out to hold them, to pull them close. To keep them safe.

As my arms reached out to grasp Naruto's cloak, my eyes opened to see my ceiling awash in the streetlight from my bedroom window. My pillow was drenched in tears as I looked at the ceiling with a smile and laughter that was coming from somewhere that I hadn't felt in months.

I knew what I had to do.

Xxx

**AN: Hey guys! Uploading twice in one day! Hope you guys liked that chapter. Drop me a line, peeps. **

**Xoxo,**

**wistfulwavess**


	3. Chapter 3

My research was now in full swing and every article I could get my hands on I absorbed.

I knew the penalties. I knew the jutsu was forbidden.

For some reason, that never even made me pause in my mad search for information. Even _looking _at the scrolls with information regarding this jutsu would imprison me for life and that was if the council was having a good day.

I could have always reached out to Orochimaru or Kabuto but I knew that would not only be fruitless but traitorous. I may have been breaking rules here, but I would never be remembered as being a traitor.

So, I began my search.

Where could I find these documents? I had the clearance and no one would suspect anything but mere curiosity coming from me.

I remember walking into the Interrogation Division with high hopes. Surely, I would be able to look at what I needed to and leave quietly.

"Sorry, Haruno. No can do," Ibiki said, not even meeting my eyes as he shuffled papers around on his desk.

I started scrambling for words and pulled a story out of my ass.

"I'm working on something for the archives on the war. I want to document why the use of the Reanimation Justu should never be used again." _How ironic_, I internally laughed to myself.

That got his attention. His eyes flashed up to mine, hesitant.

"That's why it's forbidden, Sakura. That should be explanation enough."

No.

"But I saw everything firsthand. I feel as if an eyewitness account would add some reality to the reason as to why it's forbidden."

Ibiki stilled, chewing the corner of his lip. His eyes strayed to a cabinet at the far end of the room.

Bingo.

"Look, I want to help you. But I'm under orders here and you know how that is. No one can see those documents. I really am sorry," he said, returning to his work.

"I completely understand. I appreciate your effort regardless," I said as I bowed, leaving the room.

I'll just help myself then.

Xxx

Long story short, I broke into the Interrogation Division. I knew that I only had a certain amount of time, forty-eight hours max, before they realized the documents were missing. And that was them being generous.

That night after I obtained the scrolls, I ran to my newly purchased warehouse, made copies of the scrolls and had them back by morning.

No harm, no foul.

Once I had the information, I was at the warehouse more than I was at home. I had taken an unofficial leave from my position at the hospital and so my full-time job was now research.

I was so immersed in the world of resurrection that my dreams were plagued nightly. Only now I was the resurrected one, my eyes opening from their eternal slumber and focusing on a figure across the clearing. Once my vision steadied, I recognized the familiar pink hair and green eyes, but the maniacal smile sent a chill up my spine.

Xxx

I was really getting to a breaking point in my research when I was caught on the way home from a long day at the warehouse. I was turning a corner when I heard loud laughing that I instantly recognized as Naruto.

I tried to mask my chakra and leap to the rooftop, but it was too late.

Sasuke's eyes darted up first as I turned the corner, almost as if he was looking for my chakra signature anyway.

Naruto's eyes were next as I realized that all the Rookie 12 were together standing in the street gawking at me.

"Sakura-chan? What are you up to?!"

If I ran now, I _knew _that I would have an assembly following me to my house ready to hammer me with questions. Questions that I wouldn't answer. So, I had to fake it.

"Just out for a walk," I said as I strolled over to the group. My voice sounded strange out in the open. Most days I didn't talk at all.

"You look… good," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head and a meek smile on his face.

"You look like shit," Ino said quietly.

I hadn't seen her in months, but her response startled me. Did I really look that bad?

"Easy, Ino," Shikamaru said, elbowing her.

I wasn't going to be the subject of a pity party.

"Well, I have some work to do. I'll see you guys later," I said as I turned to leave, waving as I did so.

"Will you?" Ino scoffed.

If you only knew.

I closed my eyes as I continued down the dusty street, feeling black eyes on my back the whole way.

Xxx

The first time I tried the Reanimation Jutsu was the closest I've come to dying.

I read the copies of the scrolls and felt confident that I had gotten the gist of what I had to do.

Boy was I wrong.

I began by forming the hand signs.

_Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon._

A fire erupted in my chest, singeing my lungs. I tried to gasp but it came out as a croak. I stumble, grasping for any sort of leverage on my way down. I caught the edge of the desk as I narrowly missed hitting my head on the shelf behind me.

The fire spread to my limbs, causing my legs to give out underneath me. This caused me to fall forward, my head hitting the edge of the desk that was once my savior. Hot blood poured from a gash in my head as it threatened to stream into my eye.

Involuntary tears were down my face at this point from sheer pain. A new pain erupted at the palm of my left hand as a seal blossomed.

What was this?

"Had enough yet?"

I whirled around searching for the source of the voice. I gasped as I saw the Sage of Six Paths in my warehouse.

His face was grim, his features disapproving.

"I've been watching you. You need to stop, Sakura," his tone was authoritative.

"I put a seal on that jutsu. Anyone who tries to use the Reanimation Jutsu will trigger my presence. So, here I am. I expected to see someone more… diabolical. What's going on?" he said, his tone softening.

Tears began flowing again, but these stemmed from anger rather than pain.

"All this hard work. For what? NOTHING!" I screamed.

I began demolishing my warehouse, smashing glass vials, punching walls. Once I was convinced that I had nothing left in me, I collapsed to the ground in a heap.

The silence rang in my ears. I was convinced the Sage had left, leaving me to my own destruction.

"What's your goal?"

My goal. What was my goal? I hadn't even asked myself that question.

"To make amends," I said, emotionless.

"What have you done that requires amends to be made?"

"I survived when others didn't."

Silence rang again, deafening my ears.

"Would you like some help? Maybe we can make a deal."

Xxx

**AN: hello lovelies! Hope everyone has a great holiday week next week if I don't update before then! Drop a review, it makes me happy. **

**Xoxo, **

**wistfulwavess**


	4. Chapter 4

The Sage of Six Paths was not only not going to seal me away for eternity or blow me up or whatever consequences followed what I had just done, he had offered me a _deal. _

I was more than intrigued.

"What kind of deal?"

The Sage met my eyes for a split second before looking away and took to pacing the floor.

"Just because I am the son of Kaguya doesn't mean I don't have feelings. Senseless death is still just that: senseless. Many lives were lost in the war, like every war before it, lives that would have gone on to do great things."

He paused while I absorbed what he was saying.

"I am willing to make a deal with you because you didn't harbor hate in your heart when you performed the jutsu."

Silence.

"And what do I have to do to make good on my side of the deal?" I asked, curiosity blazing. What could I offer?

"One year. One year of your life for every life that you wish to bring back."

One year? 365 days? I was willing to throw my entire life away off the side of a building to put this guilt to rest. One year was easy.

"Is there a certain timeline that I must choose from? Only lives lost in the war?" I asked.

"Any time period. Also, you must visit that person's spirit and ask if they wish to come back; not everyone wants to return to the mortal world," The Sage reminded me.

My head was reeling. Now not only was I not going to be vaporized by the first shinobi, my goal was right in front of me _with_ assistance from The Sage of Six Paths himself.

"I would recommend no more than four lives to save. You are a precious asset to Konoha, Sakura. Your live saves others and that cannot be denied."

Four lives? I was thinking more like ten.

"Only four?" I asked, my face falling.

The Sage quirked an eyebrow, "Or we could call off the deal?"

"No! No, four is perfect. I will take your offer."

"I will let you consider for a few days. It is a momentous decision that affects others. I will meet you here two days from today in the evening."

And just as quick as he had appeared, The Sage of Six Paths vanished.

Xxx

I was shaking so bad as I locked my warehouse door behind me that I had trouble fitting the key into the lock.

I sighed and looked up at the sky; there was a silver lining shining through the clouds that had plagued the village for days. I was shaking with anticipation as I set off for home.

I rushed to my door to find some food on the bench with a note that said in Miss Hazuki's clean script, _Eat well._

I unlocked my door and sat the bowl on my kitchen table. I opened the lid as warm smells wafted my way.

Shrimp tempura and rice balls. This woman was a saint.

I devoured my food with breakneck speed as I rushed to the shower. I washed in a rush as well in a hurry to my room; I had a lot to think about.

After all of my biological needs were taken care of, I sat on my bed and cleared my mind.

_Four people. _

Four people that _I, Sakura Haruno _could choose to bring back. The weight of my decision was crushing.

I deliberated for hours as my mind debated different names and friends whose lives would be changed for the better.

I was still awake when the sun rose.

Xxx

My decision was methodical. My best bet was resurrecting someone who would positively impact several people's lives that I held dear. I knew that matched nearly every name that I ran through my mind, but I had to make this decision based on other's.

_Asuma Sarutobi. _

The first name that came to my head as impacting several lives was Asuma Sarutobi. He died with a child on the way and a new love in his life with three students who still needed him.

Asuma was my first choice.

One down, four to go.

If only the first decision was as easy as the rest.

I thought of Rin. How happy could she make Kakashi-sensei? No, Obito died and was happy to finally be with Rin. I couldn't do that to Obito.

What about Minato? Kushina? The entire Uchiha clan?

I had to make decisions that would, once again, help more than one person.

I thought of Tsunade's losses.

_Jiraiya. _

That was my second choice. I knew my teacher loved Jiraiya. She had told me she did in a drunken stupor the night after he died. And Naruto needed him in his life.

Jiraiya was my second choice.

Now I wanted to think of someone younger. Someone with their whole lives ahead of them.

_Neji Hyuga. _

Neji was my third choice. He had so much life to live and not to mention Tenten was heartbroken.

My last choice was hovering over my head into the wee hours of the morning. I had made a choice for Naruto's benefit, but choosing for Sasuke was going to be highly challenging.

He had suffered so much loss that the room for mistake for immense. What if I didn't bring back the right person? I closed my eyes and thought back to what I knew to be true of Sasuke.

My mind wandered to his eyes, moments after I thought I had lost him forever to Kaguya's alternate dimensions. I felt the electricity despite the pain from the searing burn on my arm as he grabbed my arm and steadied my body as he held me close to his side.

_Whoa. _Okay, that was not what I was referring to, I scolded myself. I needed to focus.

I thought back to the moment he found out Itachi was not evil at all, in fact he was the greatest hero of the Leaf and made the ultimate sacrifice. Sasuke loved his brother more than anything. Itachi Uchiha would also be an invaluable asset to Konoha.

_Itachi Uchiha. _

That was it.

My list was complete.

Xxx

I paced my apartment until it was the day that I was to meet The Sage again. I kept thinking of other people that I could save and I had to stop myself. These choices I had made were good for those around me and if I continued to think about other names then I would never make a decision.

Time dragged by, but eventually the evening came.

I was at my warehouse door without remembering actually leaving my house. My heart was beating in my throat.

I opened the door and my gut dropped as I found the room empty.

Did I imagine it all? Had I really lost my mind?

I sat in silence for a moment as I recalled the realness of two day's prior events. I felt the back of my head and sure enough, there was a lump. Had I been knocked out and dreamed the whole thing?

My heart sunk as I turned to leave.

"Change your mind?"

I whirled around to see The Sage of Six Paths.

I had never felt such a rush of endorphins in such a small amount of time.

"Absolutely not!" I gushed, closing the warehouse door as I stepped back inside.

"So, who have you chosen?"

I told him the names and gauged his reaction at the reveal of each one.

"All great choices. Let's start with Asuma. Are you ready?"

The Sage held out his hand to me in expectation.

I was about to visit Asuma and ask if he would like to return to the mortal world. I had performed heart surgery, brain surgery, even plunged my hand into Naruto's chest cavity and manually pumped his heart, but I had never felt so nervous in my life than I did in that moment.

I hesitantly reached out and took The Sage of Six Path's hand.

Xxx

**Hello, lovelies! I hope you are all doing well and having a fantastic holiday week! Please review! See you soon **😊


	5. Chapter 5

Whatever I expected from the afterlife was completely wrong- no large spiral of clouds and no angels with wings. I was greeted by a street that I saw every day in the middle of Konoha. Now, don't get me wrong, there were differences. The air wasn't just crisp and clean like mountain air, it was invigorating. Every breath I took seemed to pulse through my veins like cool water, awakening my being to the tips of my fingers down to the bottom of my toes. However, breathing seemed to be entirely unnecessary as I quickly realized the instinct for aspiration slowly faded from my body. My vision was still clear, but it held an almost pink haze to it; just like when the sun dipped low after a long day and the sky lit up with streaks of pastel fuchsia. There was a slight lull in conversation around me as I saw people walk the streets.

My head slowly swiveled as I looked around for The Sage when I heard a voice in my head that reverberated my chest.

_I cannot cross with you. I am in another place other than this one and cannot linger where you are. I will be with you, _The Sage's voice hummed.

_Asuma is near the foot of the Hokage Mountain. Look for him there. _

I was still unsure of the new surroundings, but my feet started to move on their own accord.

Walking was new too. I felt as if each step was cushioned. The moment my foot touched the ground, a slight spring would propel me into the next step. No energy was apparently needed in this world.

All around me it seemed as if I had merely just walked down the street in my home village. People of all ages walked around, shopped, ate in cafes, and laughed in groups.

Could they tell I wasn't dead?

Wait.

Was I dead?

Not paying attention, I ran into a broad back. I gasped as I felt the difference in gravity in this world was slower. A large hand reached out and steadied me.

"Whoa there!"

I looked up to the grinning face of the Toad Sage himself. His face fell when as recognition dawned on his features.

"Oh, no. Sakura. It's far too soon for me to be seeing you."

"Jiraiya! I need to talk to you!" I shrieked as I pulled him into a deserted alley.

His large form lumbered behind mine as we hid. His face still appeared crestfallen as he examined me.

"You don't look a day past eighteen. Such a loss. Poor Tsunade and Naruto, they can't be handling this well. What happened?"

I sighed as a took in a deep breath, "I'm not dead. You have to trust me. I've set out on an… atonement mission. The Sage of Six Paths is helping me visit this world and bring back four people from the dead. I choose you."

His face was blank for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Geez, kid! Give yourself time to acclimate to this new world. You're speaking nonsense."

_Jiraiya. _

Jiraiya's eyes widened and I knew that he heard The Sage's voice too.

_What Sakura says is the truth. _

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why me?" he asked bluntly.

Why did I choose him?

"You're an asset to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, you're Naruto's father figure, and I don't know how much you can see from this world but Tsunade admitted she loved you-she deserves to be happy in that aspect finally."

I knew there wasn't blushing in this world due to lack of blood flow, but if Jiraiya was alive he would have been beet red.

"But the question is, do you want to come back to the mortal world? I won't drag you back."

The question hung in the air unanswered for a few minutes.

"If you would have asked me that when I first came to this world, I would have said no. I was sick of seeing the endless cycle of hate and death repeating itself in the shinobi world. I've had some time to reflect on some things now."

His eyes met mine, "I'll come back. I want to be there for Naruto. I want to see him get married, have children. I want to finally be with the woman I've loved my whole life."

His answer knocked the breath from me- metaphorically that is.

"I'm so relieved," I said as I gathered my thoughts, "Naruto and sensei will be so happy. It'll be nice to have you back among the living."

He grinned his wolfy grin as he extended his hand to me.

"Alright, so who else are we looking for? Let's go!"

Xxx

"Asuma was my first intended target, but I found you first."

Jiraiya used his height to his advantage as he scanned the crowd of the dead souls walking the streets.

"Last I heard from The Sage was that Asuma was at Hokage Mountain."

"Shortcut!" Jiraiya's voice boomed as he jerked my arm to a narrow street. I regained my balance as he treaded down the street, unaffected.

"So, what's it like being dead?" I asked bluntly. I almost wished I hadn't asked but if I was to ask any of my choices for resurrection this question, Jiraiya would have been my first and only pick.

"Not as bad as one might think. No need to eat or drink, but you definitely still can. No drinking or smoking, though. That one does suck when you're in the mood for a stiff drink. No weight gain, weight loss, no sickness- those are perks. When you die you maintain the form from the moment of death. Wish I could have looked a few years younger!" he barked in laughter at his own joke.

The sky suddenly turned dark- darker than any night I had ever witnessed. It was like a pitch-black blanket was thrown across the sky. I watched in awe as bright stars began popping up in sporadic places as they peppered the sky.

"Do you ever feel sad?"

I didn't know where this question came from. I guess I wondered if regret made its way over to this world.

He shook his head, white hair jostling with movement.

"I can only remember the good times with those who I loved. For instance, I only remember all the good times with Nagato rather than my last moments. It's odd, I know that it happened, but I can't seem to recall the memory if that makes sense? Or rather I don't feel any resentment? Who knows? Feelings, thoughts, memories," he gestured at these words, "are all abstract. All I know is that I am always content."

Content.

"Tsunade?" I asked, eyes peeking at his reaction.

"All I know is that I loved her with everything I had and still do. I gave her the opportunity to tell me she loved me before I died and she didn't. Maybe she was nervous to tell me? Either way, I know she loves me now," the grin on his face growing with every word.

"One thing I have learned since I died is that you can't fault the living for what they do. No moment ever feels like the last you'll see someone."

His footsteps stopped as I bumped into him again, dissecting his words.

I looked up to see the Hokage Mountain with the most recent face being the Third Hokage's.

"Let's go find baby Sarutobi!" Jiraiya boomed as he leapt up the stairs.

**AN: Hey lovelies! Hope all is well. PLEASE drop a review. They really help me to spit this chapters out. Please? **

**Xoxo, **

**wistfulwavess**


	6. Chapter 6

I said this world didn't use energy, but I felt exhausted as we neared the top of Hokage mountain. Jiraiya's upbeat demeanor seemed to be draining me.

There was a group of men in flak jackets all talking animatedly. It took me a moment to pick Asuma out of the group, but he was the tallest, so it didn't take too long.

"Baby Sarutobi!"

So much for pulling him to the side subtly. This wouldn't be happening if I would have found Neji first.

Asuma turned our way, a piece of straw hanging from his lips. Old habits die hard, I guess, and you do what you can.

Much like Jiraiya, Asuma's face fell at my presence. He bid his friends goodbye and was at our side in an instant.

He looked the same as I remembered him as he studied me with his hands stuffed in his pockets, shaking his head.

"Man, you shouldn't be here. What happened?"

"I'm not dead," I said simply. This really was getting old. Maybe there was another way that I could do this.

I told my story and to my surprise, Asuma didn't seem skeptical.

Jiraiya quirked an eyebrow, "You believe her?"

"I've definitely heard of stranger things," Asuma shrugged as he turned his attention to me.

"I'll definitely take your offer. To see Kurenai and our child… my students, I would take any offer."

I smiled at his answer as he looked at the rising sun over the top of the mountain with a faraway look in his eyes.

"To make this go quicker, can I ask a favor?"

Both large men looked down to me, expectant.

"Jiraiya, I need you to find Itachi Uchiha and bring him to training ground three."

I paused as I waited for rage.

"Okay," he said simply as he turned to head back down the mountain.

"Wait! You… You're not mad?"

"Mad? Sakura, you forget we can see major things that happen in the mortal world from here. We know all about Itachi and what truly happened," Jiraiya winked as he formed a hand sign and was gone.

Right.

"Asuma, would you mind getting Neji and meeting there, too? It would save me some breath if I just have to say all this one last time."

Xxx

I snapped a twig between two fingers as I waited impatiently at training ground three. Okay, so maybe I wanted Jiraiya and Asuma to get my two remaining resurrections because I was nervous. These two were a little foreign to me.

Where the hell were they? I expected this from Jiraiya, but Asuma? As if they heard me, approaching footsteps sounded.

My heart was beating erratically as they stepped into view.

Neji looked the same as h always did, he even wore the shinobi alliance headband that he wore in the war when he died.

I swallowed hard.

Itachi was another story. The last time I saw Itachi, I was so consumed by burning hatred and didn't care to really take in his features; he looked like Sasuke, but with more rough, chiseled features. Where Sasuke was smooth, Itachi was more hardened. I could see more resemblance to Fugaku in Itachi where Sasuke was his mother's spitting image.

My heart felt as if it dropped in my stomach as I was in the presence of these men. They were all such honorable shinobi that I felt my throat tighten with the threat of tears.

No. I wouldn't cry.

I forced the tears back as I spoke.

"What have you told them?" I asked, meeting Jiraiya's eyes.

"I told them everything, boss. I could tell you were getting tired of repeating yourself," he laughed loudly as his voice echoed through the nearby forest.

Damn him. He probably knew me so well because I was basically my shishou made over.

"Well, assuming what Jiraiya told you was accurate, what are your answers? Would you like to come back?" I asked, afraid to meet their eyes.

I felt more comfortable around people like Jiraiya and Asuma, they were friendly people that made you feel good. Neji and Itachi were great people, but their demeanors intimidated me, nonetheless.

"I'll go," Neji said simply. "I know Lady Hinata needs me, as well as my clan."

I nodded as I forced myself to look at Itachi for the first time.

I was shocked. He was looking at me with a side smile on his face. He was dressed in regular clothes rather than Akatsuki garb.

"Sasuke still needs help over there. Of course, I'll come."

_Sakura. _

I saw confused faces as The Sage's voice reverberated the empty air.

_It's time. _

And with that, there was a surge of motion and I found myself back on my warehouse floor.

Xxx

I woke up with a splitting headache. My vision was crossed for a minute as I came to, searching for something to pull myself up on.

A hand was extended to me, offering to help me to my feet. My vision finally realigned as I made out The Sage's form.

I groaned as I grabbed his hand, my head throbbing.

"I'm sorry for the suddenness. I couldn't maintain you over there for much longer."

"You could have at least given me a heads-up," I muttered bitterly as I rubbed the back of my neck.

I heard a low chuckle, "A side-effect, I'm afraid."

I frantically looked around for my travelling companions, hoping it wasn't a dream.

"They are here," he said, as his eyes wandered to the steel door that led from the office to the warehouse itself. There was a chakra seal on the door.

"They are sedated beyond this door. I suggest taking precautions before releasing them. You may need to prepare your friends for this. You also know that the council will assume you performed the Reanimation Jutsu, which you know the consequences of," The Sage said, gauging my reaction.

"I know," I said in monotone. I didn't care. If it wasn't apparent at this point that I didn't care about anything but this mission I gave myself, then I didn't know what was.

"I can still send them back."

"What? No!" I said in horror.

"Okay, just know that past this moment, I cannot undo what has been done," The Sage said with a solemn look on his face.

I smiled to myself.

"Good."

Xxx

**AN: hey guys! So I apologize for this chapter, I am not very happy with it. Just know that this is sort of an awkward chapter and the next one will be FIRE. Hopefully I portrayed the timeline correctly. This story has been past tense and now we are back to the present as Sakura approaches the door with the chakra seal. See you soon!**

**xoxo, **

**wistfulwavess **


	7. Chapter 7

I went home that night and could hardly sleep. What was going to happen tomorrow? More importantly, how as I going to tell everyone?

I decided my best bet was to talk to my resurrections and see what they thought would be best. After all, they knew the people closest to them best and how they would react.

After showering and laying in bed for hours, dawn began to seep through my windows.

Another night of no sleep.

I dragged myself to the bathroom to assess the damage of my onset insomnia.

I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror, but that wasn't new. I expected to look worse, but I actually looked better than I had in months. Granted, my cheeks were still gaunt, but my hair didn't look as scraggly as it did; my skin almost had a glow.

It was funny what a few days of hope could do to someone.

Xxx

So, here I am. Now that you're caught up, you know what happened for me to be here before this seal on my musty warehouse door.

My breath caught in my throat as I released the seal. The seal reacted with a hiss, evaporating from the door.

I carefully pushed open the door, not sure what I would find.

My heart sank as I took in an empty room.

Xxx

Where the _fuck_ could they have gotten to? Why would they not be there?

I took off from the warehouse at a sprint, praying to find them before anyone else did.

I bet it was _fucking _Jiraiya, the goddamn troublemaker.

I ran to the training grounds, hoping they would be there. Seeing no sign of them, I turned to the village. It was the worst-case scenario, so I just wanted to get that out of the way.

I made a sharp turn and headed for the Konoha.

Xxx

Finding Jiraiya in the crowd wasn't so hard. His lumbering frame was coming out of a nearby bar, drink in hand. _I guess he needed his fix_, I muttered to myself darkly.

I caught up to him and yanked him around to face me.

"Just what the _fuck _do you think you're doing?" I hissed.

I could tell he was already drunk.

"Look, I'm sorry," he hiccupped. "I just really wanted to get out of that stuffy room. And I knew that there were drinks right around the corner…"

His gaze was stolen as a voluptuous woman walked by.

I snatched his ear and dragged him down to my height.

"I did _not _bring you back so that you could oogle a woman that is not my sensei!"

He yelped in pain as I released his ear.

"Where is everyone else? You guys can't be seen. I haven't talked to anyone yet!"

"Well, I broke the seal and replaced it with a fake one so you wouldn't notice. I woke up first, everyone else was still sedated. So…" he shrugged, "I have no clue."

I felt white hot rage boiling under my skin. I smacked the drink out of his hand, causing it to clatter on the street.

"You are going to help me find them. _Now!"_

Xxx

The last place that I could think to look was on the other side of town near Ichiraku. I hadn't seen anyone that I knew, so that was pure luck.

As we neared the ramen stand, Jiraiya kept apologizing profusely.

"I really am sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just hadn't had a drink in so long…"

His apologies were falling on deaf ears. Until we found the others, he was dead to me. Figuratively speaking.

My heart sank as I saw a large crowd outside of Ichiraku's. There was never a crowd at our hole-in-the-wall place.

What day was it?

I knew it was November because of the weather and the recent passing of Halloween. The Sage had appeared to me on the 15th and that was three days ago, which made today November 18th.

Shizune's birthday.

A birthday that I had of course, been invited to. I gulped as I yanked Jiraiya down to my size, attempting to sneak by.

"Don't ask questions, just be quiet."

We narrowly sneaked by the stand without being noticed, against all odds.

I breathed a sigh of relief as we faced the end of the town that was nearest the Forest of Death. It was the last place left to check.

"Come on, this is the last place that I know of that they could be."

Xxx

I heard voices as we reached the clearing before the gates of the forest. There stood my runaway resurrections.

"Hey! Don't move!" I yelled as Jiraiya and I reached the clearing.

Asuma, Itachi, and Neji all looked thoroughly confused by my outburst.

"What were you guys thinking?! I come to my warehouse to talk to you guys and what do I find? Nothing! I have to plan this thing out or it will go to shit. And I would _greatly _appreciate it if you guys would help me instead of making this more of a babysitting gig!" I shouted, my breath coming in gasps.

A smile twitched on Itachi's lips as I heard Jiraiya mutter, "Tsunade junior…"

"I'm sorry. We were tired of being cooped up. We didn't mean harm. We took care to steer clear of those who would recognize us," Itachi said sincerely.

Neji looked unbothered by it all as Asuma chuckled.

I heaved a large gulp of air as my fingers massaged my temples.

"Look, _please _cooperate with me here. I need help coming out with you guys to everyone. People will probably want my head on a stick because they are going to assume the worst: that I used the Reanimation Jutsu. I need a plan."

Xxx

We decided to head back to the warehouse and reconvene there. We walked near the outskirts of town as we neared the merchant stalls.

"You know, you do have quite a temper."

I looked over at Itachi who was looking at me out of the corner of his eye with the side smile that seemed to be staple of his.

"I truly don't mean to. I just want this all to go right. When you guys were gone, I assumed the worst. If anyone sees you before I have the chance to explain I don't know what will happen."

"I just didn't expect it, honestly. You seem like such an easygoing girl but it looks like you can turn into a firecracker at the drop of a hat," he laughed, his dark eyes meeting mine.

I opened my mouth to reply when I was interrupted.

"Uh, Sakura?"

I glanced over to see Jiraiya pointing to something ahead of us.

Oh, my god.

I hadn't been paying attention.

Apparently Shizune's party was over and they were all hanging out in the street outside.

Everyone I knew was there.

Sasuke's eyes are the first I meet because I can feel hatred radiating off of him.

The next thing I see is Sasuke running headfirst right at me with deathly intent in his eyes.

**AN: hey guys! Sooo, to make up for a shitty chapter, I'm uploading twice today. Not the reaction you would expect, eh? We'll have to see what happens next *cackles***

**Xoxo ,**

**wistfulwavess**


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